Aslı Erdoğan – Meħlusa / Acquitted

Il-kittieba u l-ġurnalista Torka Aslı Erdoğan, li kienet mixlija li xerrdet “propaganda favur organizzazzjoni terroristika“, ilbieraħ (l-14 ta’ Frar 2020) inħelset mill-akkużi miġjuba kontriha.

Turkish author and journalist Aslı Erdoğan, accused of “propagandising for a terrorist organisation“, was acquitted of all charges in a court session held yesterday (14 February 2020).

Aslı Erdoğan Free 2016 — Aslı Erdoğan – meta ħarġet mill-ħabs fl-2016 / on her release from prison in 2016

English version below.

“Serquli tliet snin minn ħajti”

“Aċċettajt [il-verdett] wara li smajt il-kelma ‘meħlusa’ xi disa’ jew għaxar darbiet!” qalet Aslı Erdoğan bi tbissima kbira. Minkejja li hi sodisfatta bid-deċiżjoni tal-qorti, xorta mweġġa’ b’dak li għaddiet minnu, u tħoss li fit-Turkija “il-ġustizzja saret arma li biha tissikket l-oppożizzjoni.” “Jien m’iniex ħatja ta’ [atti ta’] propaganda; [dak li ktibt] kien, b’mod ċar, xogħol letterarju. Inqaleb għal għadd ta’ lingwi, [u] kien magħruf. Il-proċess [li għaddejt minnu] kien tal-mistħija,” kompliet Erdoğan. “Serquli tliet snin minn ħajti.”

Għad fadal xi jsir

Minkejja l-ferħ li tnissel aħbar bħal din, iktar u iktar minħabba r-rabta personali li għandna ma’ Aslı, jibqa’ l-fatt li hemm ammont kbir ta’ kittieba u ġurnalisti fit-Turkija li ilhom żmien twil il-ħabs. Barra minnhekk, il-każ ta’ sitt ġurnalisti oħra marbuta mal-gazzetta Özgür Gündem għad irid jinstema’ u f’April se jibda l-każ kontra Deniz Yücel, ġurnalist Tork-Ġermaniż, li fih jista’ jeħel sentenza ta’ 16-il sena ħabs.

Tista’ semma’ leħnek biex tgħin lil dawk li tteħdilhom. Ikteb fuq il-mezzi soċjali u żid il-hashtag #FreeTurkeyMedia. Ipprotesta mal-Ambaxxata tat-Turkija f’Malta (embassy.valletta@mfa.gov.tr), u anke direttament mal-uffiċċju tal-President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (contact@tccb.gov.tr). Ikteb ukoll lill-Ministeru tal-Affarijiet (foreignaffairs@gov.mt), u lill-Membri Maltin tal-Parlament Ewropew biex huma wkoll jagħmlu pressjoni fuq il-gvern tat-Turkija.

Artikli

Dettalji u ċitazzjonijiet meħuda minn dawn l-artikli:

“Three and a half years of my life were taken away from me”

“I accepted [the verdict] after hearing the word ‘acquitted’, nine or ten times!” said a beaming Aslı Erdoğan. Although satisfied with the court’s decision, she still feels hurt by the ordeal, and believes that “justice has become a weapon to silence the opposition” in Turkey. “I am not guilty of propaganda; it was clearly a work of literature. It was translated into so many languages, it was renowned. The trial was truly a disgrace,” Erdoğan added. “Three and a half years of my life were taken away from me.”

There is much left to be done

Joyful as this news may very well be, not least because of our personal ties with Aslı, the fact is that there is a shocking amount of journalists and writers who have been languishing, in Turkish jails. The Özgür Gündem trials have been split and six other journalists are still awaiting sentencing, and in April, the hearing against German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yücel will commence, with a possible sentence at the end of 16 years in prison.

Give a voice to those who have lost theirs. Write on social media using the hashtag #FreeTurkeyMedia. Protest directly with the Turkish Embassy in Malta (embassy.valletta@mfa.gov.tr), and also with the office of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (contact@tccb.gov.tr). Write to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (foreignaffairs@gov.mt), and to Maltese MEPs so that they too will exert pressure on the Turkish government.

Articles

Details and quotations taken from these articles: